ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To understand the characteristics of imported malaria in Hubei Province so as to provide the evidence for formulating the prevention and control strategy. METHODS: The data of all imported malaria cases from 2006-01 to 2011-07 were retrospectively analyzed, and at the same time, the imported malaria cases since 2010 were interviewed through telephone and the cases since 2011-05 were interviewed face to face. All data were analyzed with EpiInfo. RESULTS: There were 195 imported malaria cases from 2006-01-01 to 2011-07-07, and there was a rising trend but there was no obvious difference among seasons. The interval between the disease onset and diagnosis was shorter in high educated people than low educated people (chi2 = 10.93, P < 0.01) and in the severe cases than the slight cases (chi2 = 4.58, P < 0.05). The severe rates of malaria cases were 70.4% and 82.9% in the low educated group and the high educated group, respectively (chi2 = 7.02, P < 0.01). Non-condition regression analysis showed that there were three influence factors which affected severe malaria, including whether or not self-treatment instead of seeing doctor when being fever; whether or not having health education before going abroad; whether or not considering malaria of the initial diagnosis doctor. CONCLUSION: It is very important to strengthen the personnel abroad malaria health education, the malaria blood smear microscopic inspection in medical institutions, and the initial diagnosis doctor's awareness on malaria.